The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 683

At the sight of a stranger hurrying toward him, several of Matthew's bodyguards materialized, subtly forming a protective circle around him. Matthew turned and saw it was Anne Hathaway, approaching with a sense of urgency.

Anne Hathaway wore her long, straight chestnut hair down, and she was dressed in a fashionable, beautiful dress.

"Hello, Anne." Matthew gestured for his bodyguards to stand down. Once they had dispersed, he turned to Hathaway and asked bluntly, "Did you need something from me?"

He and Anne Hathaway had never really crossed paths. She had started out in teen idol roles, then transitioned to the independent film circuit. If he remembered correctly, "Inception" was her first part in a major, A-list commercial production.

Anne Hathaway reached Matthew and swept back a few stray strands of hair that had fallen across her face from her brisk walk. She smiled.

"Matthew, do you have a moment? Can we find somewhere to talk?"

Matthew regarded Anne Hathaway with curiosity. She had a reputation within their circles as a woman exceptionally driven by the pursuit of fame and fortune.

He had heard her mentioned over the years; the actress from New York was highly ambitious and always thinking ahead. Her judgment, however, seemed questionable—her first high-profile wealthy boyfriend had turned out to be a financial con artist, and extricating herself from that mess had been difficult.

From what he'd read in the tabloids, Anne Hathaway was determined to land a wealthy man, but so far, she had not only failed but had also saddled herself with a mountain of negative press.

Anne Hathaway looked at Matthew and asked, "Has Christopher Nolan spoken to you? He asked me to prepare for the role of Mal and to interact more with you."Matthew recalled what Christopher Nolan had said to him and nodded.

"He made a similar request of me." He opened the door to his Mercedes.

"Get in," he offered. "There's a café just around the corner; we can talk there."

"Alright." Anne Hathaway settled into the car with the poise of an English lady.

Matthew slid into the car and told the driver, "To Southboro Great Street."

A few minutes later, the car parked in front of an upscale café. Matthew and Anne Hathaway went inside, found a quiet table, and casually ordered two cups of coffee before resuming their conversation.

"My interpretation of what Director Nolan meant..." Anne Hathaway began, still smiling, "is that he wants us to spend more time together outside of work."

Matthew, his expression serious as always when discussing his craft, replied, "It's about building a genuine emotional foundation for our characters, and doing it as quickly as possible."

Anne Hathaway nodded gently. "Exactly."

She lowered her voice and asked, "So, should I call you Matthew? Or

Cobb?"

Matthew answered, "Better to call me Matthew. I've always made a point of separating my life from my roles."

Throughout his career, he'd never let a character bleed into his real life.

"But..." Anne Hathaway hesitated.

Matthew clarified, "Tomorrow is another day. For today, I'm Matthew Horner, and you're Anne Hathaway."

Anne Hathaway didn't argue. "Alright."

Matthew took a sip of his coffee and added, "Besides, if you were actually Mal and just showed up in my life, I'd be so terrified I'd probably faint."

Hearing the joke in his tone, Anne Hathaway broke into a smile.

Matthew then noticed something else about Anne: she was a woman whose public image was exceptionally consistent.

Smiling or not, Anne Hathaway projected the image of a bright-eyed, fair-skinned, sweetly smiling "princess," possessing an elegance reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn and a vibrancy like Judy Garland's.

After chatting with Anne Hathaway for a while, Matthew found she wasn't as bad as the rumors suggested. Maybe she really had fallen for two con artists in a row, but she came across as well-educated and distinct from the typical, beaming all-American girl. There was a unique elegance to her demeanor.

Of course, as a fellow Hollywood star, Matthew judged her by the standards of his profession and had learned the hard lesson that what you hear is often false, and what you see can be just as deceptive.

But even if it was an act, Anne Hathaway's well-mannered elegance didn't repel him. It was a hundred times better than sitting across from some tattooed woman who chain-smoked and swore like a sailor.

Unfortunately, she was born in the wrong era.

In this day and age, the persona Anne Hathaway crafted for herself felt a bit outdated.

Society seemed to expect its young stars to be a little reckless and edgy, and in that respect, Matthew himself was a prime example.

That's why celebrities who weren't afraid to swear were often more popular; their personas came across as more genuine.

Take Anne Hathaway, for instance: as long as she didn't reach the absolute pinnacle of stardom, she could likely continue with this persona without much trouble. But if she ever tried to pivot to a more "relatable" or "down-to-earth" image, the whole facade could shatter.

In the internet age, having your public persona destroyed was a particularly nasty business.

Matthew and Anne Hathaway talked about the film for a little while longer before Anne suddenly changed the subject.

"I saw a news report about you a couple of days ago. You were invited to join the Academy?"

"Yes." A thought flickered through Matthew's mind. "I never thought I'd get to vote for the Oscars."

Anne Hathaway smiled and asked, as if it were just a passing thought, "Have you mailed in your ballot yet?"

Matthew shook his head. "No." He met her gaze. "I've never voted before, and I haven't seen most of the nominated films, so I have no idea who to vote for."

He'd received the ballot from the Academy in the mail but hadn't paid any attention to the list of nominees. It suddenly occurred to him that Anne Hathaway was probably asking because she was on that list.

Anne Hathaway navigated the topic delicately. "You're a member of the Screen Actors Guild, so for the nominations ballot, you can only vote for the acting categories." She elaborated on the rules, "You can't vote for the other awards until after the nominations are announced and the final voting begins."

Matthew slowly rotated the coffee cup in his hands. "I know."

He said nonchalantly, "I'll probably just pick a few names at random before the deadline."

Then he added, "Or maybe someone will lobby me. Whoever makes their case, I'll just vote for them."

Anne Hathaway didn't expect such a candid response. Vote for whoever's publicist reached out to him? Was it really that simple?

"Matthew..." she began, her voice hesitant. "Could you save your vote for the Best Actress nomination for me?"

"You're in the running for Best Actress this year?" Matthew asked.

Anne Hathaway prompted, "My name is on the ballot."

Matthew smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I must have overlooked it. As I recall, no actress born after 1980 has won Best Actress yet, right?"

Anne Hathaway nodded. "Not yet. So I'm trying to be the first."

It was a long shot, but she was going to try.

That's why every single vote was crucial for her.

Matthew laughed. "Everyone else hires publicists to lobby the voters. Annie, you're so frugal you won't even spring for a PR campaign."

Anne Hathaway smiled in return. "This way is more sincere." Then she added, "Besides, I'm very poor. I can't afford to spend millions on PR and advertising."

"You, poor?" Matthew was incredulous. "Everyone knows 'Princess Anne's' movies have been a sensation these past few years. You've made a fortune."

Anne Hathaway just laughed but didn't reply.

What about the money she'd earned from indie films like "Brokeback Mountain" and "Becoming Jane"? It was barely enough to cover her expenses for a few months.

"Alright," Matthew said, being deliberately direct. "Since Princess Anne herself came to lobby me, you have my vote."

Anne Hathaway hadn't expected him to agree so readily. She was stunned for a second, then a smile bloomed on her face. "Thank you."

As she spoke, she studied Matthew again. He seemed like a generous man.

This realization sent a jolt through Anne Hathaway's thoughts. For years, she had been determined to find a rich man.

Over the past few years, she had certainly become famous, but the money she earned was never enough to support her lifestyle.

As she looked at the man across from her, her thoughts grew sharper. The papers reported that Matthew was worth several hundred million dollars.

A man like that would make for a perfect personal ATM. He could surely spare two million dollars a month for her to spend on designer goods without even noticing.

Anne Hathaway, however, gave no hint of what she was thinking. They were going to be working together on set, after all. There was no need to rush. It wouldn't do to seem too eager.

***

As he watched Anne Hathaway walk out of the café, Matthew felt no sense of urgency. The shoot for "Inception" was scheduled to last for several months.